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Atlantic City women identified as victims in fatal Mullica crash; authorities suspect others may have fled the scene

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AC Press

By STEVEN LEMONGELLO Staff Writer | Posted: Friday, April 2, 2010 at 6:56pm | 5 comments

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A bundle of crime scene tape marks the spot of Wednesday's fatal accident in Mullica Township.

Photo by: Dan Good

MULLICA - Detectives were searching for one and possibly two people who fled the scene of a fatal crash in Mullica Township on Wednesday night, Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel said in a statement.

The two-car crash killed Christina Rivera, 29, and Belinda Dillihay, 61, both of Atlantic City, Housel said. Rivera was driving on Route 30 at about 10:20 p.m. when a Jeep Wrangler struck Rivera’s car head-on about one mile from Elwood Road......Continue Reading

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This story was taken from the news source stated above. It's content and comments are not necessarily the opinion of The Elwood Vol. Fire Company or it's members.



Continued from page 1

 

Rivera and Dillihay were pronounced dead at the scene, Housel said, while Dillihay’s 13-year-old grandson, sitting in the backseat of Rivera’s car, was seriously injured and taken to Cooper Memorial Hospital in Camden County for broken legs and a broken arm.

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A person in the Wrangler, Ottoway Harrison, 29, of Mullica Township, was taken to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Division, for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Atlantic County Medical Examiner Dr. Hydow Park performed autopsies on Rivera and Dillihay on Thursday, determining that both women died of multiple internal injuries.

Mullica Township Detective Sgt. John Thompson called in Prosecutor’s Office detectives soon after the crash. Investigators were asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who had information about anyone who may have fled the scene, to contact the Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7666 or through its Web site.

Dillihay lived alone at the Atlantic City Townehouse apartments at 1330 Mediterranean Ave., while Rivera lived at 1800 Ontario Ave. with her three children.

“She was a nice lady,” said neighbor Darryl Brown. “She kept to herself, quiet.”

“The sad thing about it,” Brown said, “is that she just bought that car.”

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Photo from Action News

Rivera worked at the Claridge Hotel section of Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel and Casino, where fellow employees described her as a nice, talkative woman who doted on her children.

“Christina was a very dedicated team member working at the Bagel/Donut Connection at our Bally’s property since July ’06,” said Alyce Parker, spokeswoman for Bally’s owner Harrah’s entertainment. “We have been in contact and have offered any assistance to the family. Her fellow team members and our leadership team express their deepest sympathy to her family during this very tragic time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.”

It remained unclear whether Harrison was the driver or a passenger in the Wrangler that struck Rivera’s car. Harrison was previously arrested on several indictable offenses including criminal mischief, damage to property and harassment charges in April 2003, terroristic threats and criminal mischief in October 2003, and theft by deception in 2007.

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All were remanded back to municipal court and were dismissed, except for an aggravated assault charge from July 2003 which was downgraded to a lesser charge.

No one was home Thursday afternoon at Harrison’s home on the White Horse Pike in Mullica Township, where several vehicles for sale were parked in the lot.

Neighbors said Ottoway Harrison’s father owns a paving company in the Nesco section of the township and sells used vehicles on the side.

A couple of neighbors said their sons played with Ottoway Harrison when they were children, but have since gone their separate ways.

Staff writers Elaine Rose, Emily Previti, Dan Good and Lynda Cohen contributed to this story.

Contact Steven Lemongello:   609-272-7275  SLemongello@pressofac.com

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Police investigate crash that killed two females in Mullica Township

By EMILY PREVITI Staff Writer | Posted: Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 8:05am | 0 comments

 

 MULLICA TOWNSHIP - More information is expected today, after two young women were killed here in a late-night accident along Route 30.

 

Police, fire and rescue workers responded at 10:22 p.m. to the accident scene along Route 30, about a quarter of a mile west of Elwood Avenue, officials said

 The girls' car collided with a Jeep Wrangler, crashing into the woods and becoming severely compacted.

 Emergency workers used an extrication device to get a young girl out of the back seat of the car and an ambulance took her to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, as well as a young man removed from the back of the Jeep, bystander Danny Alvarez said.

Officials said they did not believe those injuries were life-threatening.

Alvarez, 24, lives at the intersection where the crash happened. He said he came outside after hearing a boom that he initially thought was a gunshot.

The accident scene, a grassy, muddy swatch on the side of the road, remained littered with debris Thursday. Bundles of crime tape. A license plate, sliced in half. Glass shards. Dozens of rubber gloves. One flare, used, damp.

The accident happened in a section of Mullica Township called Elwood, a small cluster of a few hundred homes carved into the heavily-forested region.

If not for Route 30, the area would be quiet and calm.

Thursday morning, few details had emerged about the tragedy, even at two places where details usually flow - Elwood Deli, a gas station and convenience store, and the post office located a few hundred yards away.

Nancy Jackson was raising the flag at the post office when a passerby let her know about the accident.

"Other than that I wouldn't have known," she said.

Mullica, Egg Harbor City and Galloway Township police, Hammonton Rescue Squad, Atlantic County Emergency Management, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, the State Police Fatal Crash Unit, and the Elwood Volunteer Fire Company responded to the incident.

This story is developing; check here for updates.

A sign warns motorists to slow down Thursday morning at Route 30 and Elwood Avenue in Mullica Township, the scene of an accident late Wednesday that claimed the lives of two young women.

A sign warns motorists to slow down Thursday morning at Route 30 and Elwood Avenue in Mullica Township,

the scene of an accident late Wednesday that claimed the lives of two young women.

Photo by: DAN GOOD

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Two young women killed in Mullica crash

By EMILY PREVITI Staff Writer | Posted: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 11:22pm | 0 comments

MULLICA TOWNSHIP - Police and rescue personnel were still trying early this morning to extricate the bodies of two young women from a severely compacted car that had crashed into the woods after colliding with a Jeep Wrangler on Route 30

Police, fire and rescue workers responded at 10:22 p.m. to Elwood Avenue and Route 30, officials said.

They used an extrication device to get a young girl out of the back seat of the car and an ambulance took her to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, as well as a young man removed from the back of the Jeep, bystander Danny Alvarez said.

Officials said they did not believe those injuries were life-threatening.

Alvarez, 24, lives at the intersection where the crash happened. He said he came outside after hearing a boom that he initially thought was a gunshot.

Mullica, Egg Harbor City and Galloway Township police, Hammonton Rescue Squad, Atlantic County Emergency Management, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, and the Elwood Volunteer Fire Company responded to the incident

Posted in ALERTS BREAKING on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 11:22 pm Updated: 1:02 am

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This story was taken from the news source stated above. It's content and comments are not necessarily the opinion of The Elwood Vol. Fire Company or it's members.

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